When an Artist Finds a Community: Cassandra Myers' Residency on Gabriola Island
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There are some people who leave an impression long before you fully understand the depth of their work.
I first met Cassandra Myers at the Gabriola Arts Council's welcome gathering for our newest Artist in Residence. Before I knew about the awards, the international recognition, or the remarkable breadth of their creative practice, I noticed something much simpler: warmth. Cassandra has an openness that immediately puts people at ease. As we talked, they shared that they were preparing for an upcoming solo exhibition in Toronto while beginning to imagine a completely new installation for their residency here on Gabriola.
Like so many artists, Cassandra stood at that familiar and exciting threshold—knowing something wanted to be created, but not yet knowing exactly what it would become. That willingness to embrace uncertainty is, to me, one of the true marks of an artist.
Over the weeks that followed, I had the privilege of watching not only an extraordinary installation emerge, but also something equally meaningful: an artist becoming woven into the fabric of an island community. We even squeezed in a fun studio visit to Fishhead Studio together here on Gabriola Island.
Meet Cassandra Myers
Cassandra Myers (they/she/he) is an award-winning poet, performer, dancer, illustrator, counsellor, and interdisciplinary artist from Tkaronto (Toronto), Ontario.
Their work lives at the intersection of poetry, performance, film, installation, and visual art, creating immersive experiences that explore identity, disability, gender, healing, and the human experience. Their poetry and spoken word have received national and international recognition, including the National Magazine GOLD Award in Poetry, ARC Poetry Magazine's Poem of the Year Award, The Malahat Review's Open Season Award, and many others.
Yet despite these impressive accomplishments, what struck me most during Cassandra's residency was not their résumé—it was their curiosity, generosity, and wholehearted willingness to invite others into the creative process.
Why Gabriola?
Cassandra came to Gabriola to continue developing Body All Pearls, an interdisciplinary poetry and installation project inspired by the body, vulnerability, transformation, and connection.
Drawn to Gabriola's shoreline, oyster beds, forests, and slower rhythm of life, they envisioned moving beyond the printed page by creating sculptural poetry using reclaimed oyster shells gathered from the island.
The Kasahara Artist Residency offered exactly what so many artists long for: uninterrupted time, natural beauty, and the freedom to explore an idea without knowing precisely where it might lead.
And lead it did.
When a Community Becomes Part of the Artwork
One of the most beautiful aspects of Cassandra's residency wasn't simply the artwork that emerged—it was the number of people who quietly became part of its story.
Island residents collected oyster shells.
Artists shared their time, ideas, and encouragement.
Workshops brought together writers, creatives, and community members eager to explore poetry and storytelling.
A youth poetry slam gave young voices an opportunity to be heard.
Committee members generously offered practical support—including lending Cassandra a vehicle during their stay—making it easier to fully immerse themselves in island life.
Again and again, people simply showed up.
That generosity became part of the work itself.
It reminded me that artist residencies are about far more than creating artwork. They create space for genuine relationships to form between artists and the communities that welcome them.
Watching an Idea Become Reality
From our earliest conversations, I heard Cassandra speak about the installation they hoped to create.
At that stage, it existed only as sketches, possibilities, and conversations.
Months later, I stood inside the completed installation.
Hundreds of suspended oyster shells surrounded visitors, each carrying fragments of poetry, memory, and reflection. Light filtered through the room, gently illuminating the shells as they moved almost imperceptibly in the air.
It was breathtaking.
As artists, we rarely get to witness the entire journey behind someone else's work—from uncertainty and experimentation to a fully realized installation experienced by the public.
Seeing that transformation reminded me that meaningful art asks us to trust the process long before we can see the outcome.
Body All Pearls
Walking through the installation became an experience rather than simply viewing an artwork. The suspended shells invited visitors to slow down, move carefully through the space, and discover poetry embedded throughout the piece. The work felt contemplative, intimate, and quietly powerful.
Each person seemed to experience it differently, which felt entirely appropriate for a work centred on vulnerability, healing, and the many stories our bodies carry.
Listen to Cassandra Describe the Installation
Hearing Cassandra describe the work in their own words offers another layer of insight into both the installation and the creative journey behind it.
Collaboration Behind the Scenes
Although the installation reflects Cassandra's unique artistic vision, it also speaks to the generosity of collaboration.
Throughout their residency, fellow artists offered encouragement, practical assistance, conversations, and expertise that helped bring this ambitious work to life.
Watching Cassandra welcome others into the process was inspiring. There was no sense of needing to create in isolation. Instead, collaboration became another creative material—one that enriched both the artwork and the relationships formed along the way.
Special Thanks to Fran Usher
One person whose contribution deserves special recognition is Gabriola sculptor Fran Usher.
Fran generously shared her expertise in metal fabrication, helping Cassandra develop the structural support that made the suspended installation possible. Her knowledge, encouragement, and willingness to mentor were instrumental throughout the process.
When I asked Fran about the experience, she shared these beautiful reflections:
"It was a real honour to be involved in the metal work of the installation and, more importantly, to see Cass refining her approaches and aesthetic decision making in this relatively new three-dimensional world of self-expression. Her clarity was amazing.
As a sculptor and conceptually themed artist, I could not help but be excited by the passion and complexity of Cassandra's conceptual output. How could one not support her in any way they could?"
Those words beautifully capture the spirit of this residency. Thank you, Fran, for your generosity, mentorship, and creative support.
To learn more about Fran's work at www.franusher.ca and @francesusher_sculptor.
Reflections from the Residency
As Cassandra reflected on their time on Gabriola, it became clear that this residency offered much more than studio time.
It became a season of experimentation, collaboration, friendship, and artistic growth.
The island's forests, beaches, community, and slower pace all found their way into the work, shaping not only the final installation but also the experience of creating it.
Those gifts are difficult to measure, yet they are often the most enduring.
A Grateful Farewell
As another artist, one of the greatest gifts of this experience was witnessing an idea evolve from possibility into something fully realized.
Watching Cassandra embrace uncertainty with such openness reminded me that creativity rarely begins with certainty. It begins with trust.
Trust in the process.
Trust in curiosity.
Trust that the work will reveal itself one step at a time.
Perhaps what I'll remember most isn't only the installation itself, remarkable as it was. It's the way Cassandra welcomed people into the journey, allowing an entire community to become part of the story.
For a little while, Gabriola wasn't simply where Cassandra worked.
It became home.
Thank you, Cassandra, for sharing your remarkable gifts, your generosity, and your creativity with our island community. It has been a privilege to witness your residency, and I look forward to following wherever your artistic journey leads next.
About Cassandra Myers
To learn more about Cassandra Myers, please visit cassmyers.com and @cass.myers.poetry.
